# US 11,298,450 B2 · Apparatus for the non-invasive measurement of the blood flow > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,298,450 B2 - Document ID: US11298450B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/316,604 - Filed: 2015-06-01 - Published: 2018-07-05 - Granted: 2022-04-12 - Earliest claimed: 2014-06-06 - Assignees: Fresenius Medical Care Deutschland GmbH - Applicants: Fresenius Medical Care Deutschland GmbH - Inventors: Pascal Kopperschmidt; Carsten Mueller - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11298450B2 ## CPC - A61M 1/3656: {Monitoring patency or flow at connection sites; Detecting disconnections} - A61B 5/0036: {including treatment, e.g., using an implantable medical device, ablating, ventilating} - A61B 5/026: Measuring blood flow {(A61B3/1233, A61B3/1241 take precedence)} - A61B 5/6831: {Straps, bands or harnesses} - A61M 1/3655: {Arterio-venous shunts or fistulae} - A61B 5/015: {By temperature mapping of body part} - A61B 5/0261: {using optical means, e.g. infrared light} - A61B 5/14552: {Details of sensors specially adapted therefor} - A61B 5/282: Holders for multiple electrodes (for introduction into the body A61B5/287) - A61B 5/335: using integrated circuit memory devices - A61B 5/352: Detecting R peaks, e.g. for synchronising diagnostic apparatus; Estimating R-R interval - A61B 5/4836: {Diagnosis combined with treatment in closed-loop systems or methods (A61B5/0036 takes precedence)} - A61B 5/6802: {Sensor mounted on worn items} - A61B 2562/0261: Strain gauges - A61B 2562/046: in a matrix array - A61B 2562/066: in a matrix array - A61B 2562/164: the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier - A61M 2205/3306: Optical measuring means - A61M 2205/3331: Pressure; Flow - A61M 2205/3334: Measuring or controlling the flow rate - A61M 2205/3368: Temperature - A61M 2205/3569: sublocal, e.g. between console and disposable - A61M 2205/3673: thermo-electric, e.g. Peltier effect, thermocouples, semi-conductors - A61M 2205/52: with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient - A61M 2205/702: automatically during use - A61M 2230/04: Heartbeat characteristics, e.g. ECG, blood pressure modulation - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract An apparatus for the non-invasive measurement of the blood flow through a shunt of a patient has at least one bandage which can be worn by the patient, as well as a plurality of sensors which are arranged in or at the bandage, which are arranged in at least one multidimensional matrix, and which are configured such that they create a multidimensional matrix of measured values of at least one parameter detected by the sensors. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for non-invasive measurement of blood flow through a shunt of a patient, said apparatus comprising: a bandage configured to be worn by the patient; a plurality of skin stretching sensors arranged at the bandage, the skin stretching sensors being arranged in a multidimensional matrix, and being configured to measure values resulting from a multidimensional pattern of skin stretching that is associated with oscillating variations in blood pressure and ultimately the blood flow through the shunt; an evaluation unit configured to process the measured values including generating a spatio-temporal pattern of the spatial stretching of a surface of the skin which reproduces the measured values of the skin stretching sensors simultaneously, and comparing the measured stretching values with reference values so as to generate a pattern providing a comparison of the measured stretching values relative to the reference values, the generated pattern including white and black boxes, with each white box corresponding to a pressure value which lies below a reference value and each black box corresponding to a pressure value which lies above a reference value; a transmission unit configured to be in communication with the evaluation unit and to transmit the generated pattern therefrom; and a receiver configured to receive the generated pattern transmitted by the transmission unit so as to facilitate treatment of the patient based on the non-invasive measurement. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the matrix is a two-dimensional matrix and the pattern is a two-dimensional pattern. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further comprising sensors for detecting a heart activity of the patient. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the measured values are absolute values. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a memory to store the measured values. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus according to claim 5, Therein the memory is arranged at the bandage. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmission unit is configured for wireless transmission. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the evaluation unit is arranged at the bandage. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a Peltier element as an energy source. ### Claim 10 A method of non-invasive measurement of blood flow through a shunt of a patient, said method comprising: providing an apparatus for the non-invasive measurement of the blood flow through the shunt, the apparatus including a bandage configured to be worn by the patient and having a plurality of skin stretching sensors arranged at the bandage, the skin stretching sensors being arranged in a multidimensional matrix, and being configured to measure values resulting from a multidimensional pattern of skin stretching that is associated with oscillating variations in blood pressure and ultimately the blood flow through the shunt, An evaluation unit, a transmission unit in communication with the evaluation unit, and a receiver, applying the bandage to the patient; with the evaluation unit, processing the measured values, including generating a spatio-temporal pattern of the spatial stretching of a surface of the skin which reproduces the measured values of the skin stretching sensors simultaneously, and comparing the measured stretching values with reference values so as to generate a pattern providing a comparison of the measured stretching values relative to the reference values, the generated pattern including white and black boxes, with each white box corresponding to a pressure value which lies below a reference value and each black box corresponding to a pressure value which lies above a reference value; with the transmission unit, transmitting the generated pattern therefrom; and with the receiver, receiving the generated pattern transmitted by the transmission unit so as to facilitate treatment of the patient based on the non-invasive measurement. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein the transmitting is wireless.